Vacuum-cleaner.



C. C. DANCE.

VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.30.19|5

@wi/hueso C. C. DANCE. VACUUM CLEANER. APPLICAHON FILED A116130, |915 2 SHEETs-sHEET 2.

@wow/boi .Patented Jan. 22, i918,

3' 4/ D 076/ /zfc. Y' l 1]/ Bti VACUUM-emanen.

To all whom it may concern.' f

a citizen'of .the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver and kState of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Vacuumv-Cleaners; and I` do declare the following tov be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art' to which it Vappertains to make. and use' the same, reference being had tothe accompany-l ing drawings, and tothe characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. l

My invention relates to improvements in vacuum cleaners of the class adapted for use j in cleaning carpets,.rugs and fabrics of various kinds. In my present improvement I employ a casing carrying a motor connected in operative relation to impart a horizontally reciprocating movement to a brush which is arranged above and-within an inlet opening which when the machine is in oper ation moves, above and in close proximity to the surface of the article to be cleaned. Furthermore I employ a vertically reciprocating beater consisting of a number of rods or wires which are suitably spaced and extend across the said inlet opening, and coperate with the brush, the head of which is so connected with the beater that as the brush is operated as heretofore explained it automatically imparts the vertical reciprocation 'to the beater.

preferably employ an electric motor which is mounted on the casing and operated from any suitable source of current and may be connected withthe electric light circuit of the house or locality where the cleaner is used. As the operating shaft of the motor hasa relatively rapid movement., l preferably employ speed reducing mecha nism suitably arranged between the motor shaft and the brush for. imparting 'the reciprocating movement to the latter.

Having' briefly outlined my present improvement will proceed to describe the same in detail,v reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof. ln this drawing- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner equipped with my improvements.,

-1 `ig.'2 is a detail view of the brush which partlv broken away at one end.

Fig.. 3 is a perspective view of the Spectjeation of Letters Patent. Patented Japin, 22, 11918., application nieaadeuvst so, iaia. n serial no. 48,001.

1- j l Fig. 4 is a vertical section of my improved Be it known that L-CLrrronnnCifDANCE,

construction, the section being indicated by theline 1-4, Fig. 5, the motor however being shown in elevation;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5, Fig-il, lookingin the direction of the arrow.

The same reference .characters indicate the same parts in all the views. r

Let the numeral 5 designate a casing upon wliich'is mounted a motor. 6 having an operatingshaft 7to which is secured a rotary fan '8 by means of a set bolt 9. This fan is located in a'chamber 10.which communicates by way of an opening 12 with a chamber 13 in which the brush 14 is located, the chamber V13 communicating with the atmosphere through a bottom or inlet opening 15. As

.the fan is rotated, the suction induced there'- by,` acts upon the'surface over which the machine is traveling, whereby the air is drawn upwardly through the opening 15, producing a relatively strong current which passes through the opening 12, and the chamber 1G and thence into a bag or recep` tacle 16 where the-dust or other foreign matter removed from the surface to be cleaned.. is deposited.

lt is important that the speed reducing mechanism which it is desirable to employ between the motor shaft and the brush, shall as far as possible, be protected-from the dust and foreigr` matter which iscarried by the` air current through the chambers 13 and 10 as just described. .Hence li applyv to the main member 17 of the casing 5, an auxiliary casing member 18 forming a compartment 19 above the upper forward portion 20 of t-he chamber 13, the said compartment 19 also extending rearwardly. above the fan chamber 10. Applied to the upper portion of themotor shaft 7 and located within the compartment 19 is a relatively small pulley 21 which is connected by means of a belt 22 with a relatively large pulley28 which is fast upon a shaft 24. Also secured to this shaft 24 and located below the pulley 23, is a relatively small gear or pinion. 25 which meshes with tworelativelylarge gears 26 arranged on opposite sides and fast on shafts 27 each of which is provided with a crank 28 which is connected as shown at 29 with one extremity of a pitman 30 which is pivotally connected at its opposite extremity as shown at 314 with the head 32 of the brush whose bristles 33 extend downwardly through-the opening 15a whereby it ara Mld lilltl ranged to act directly upon thearticle to be cleaned. As the shafts 27 are rotated through the medium of mechanism just described, it is apparent that horizontally revciprocating movement will be imparted to the brush whose lower extremity will move back and forth in the opening l5', thus loosening the dust and-other foreign particles of matter which it is desired to remove from the carpet, rug or other article.

Coperatingwith this brush is a .beater 34 which as illustrated in the drawing is composed of two parallel rods `35 connected by suitably spaced fingers 36 lwhich extend veo across the portion of the chamberf13 in' which the brush reciprocates, being located in close proximity to the article to be cleaned, whereby the latter. is revented y from being drawn into the cham er 13 by the induced suction. This beater is arranged toreci rocate vertically and the construction w ereby this is accomplished will now be described. Connected with the opposite extremities of the rods 35 of the beater, are upwardly extending bow shaped members 43 The central top portions 38 of these members extend downwardly forming curved projections 39, which normally lie in the .path of the brush head 32 as the latter is re- -ciprocated in the performance ofits func-v tion. .The beater is normally .held in its lowest position by-means of two pairs of vertically disposedspiralsprings 40 which are located in pockets 41 formed inthe relatively heavy end members 42 of the 'casing 5, The

upper extremities of these springs engage the top walls of these pockets while their lower extremities bear upon the upper surfaces of the rods 35 ofthe beater. Furthermore these'rods 35 are supported fromk below by inwardlyextending flanges 43 of the casing. Hence as the brush is reciprocated, it

engages the curved projections 39 of the members 37 of the beater from Vbelow, vand -during each stroke imparts an upward move-"f ment tothe beater which of course returns to its normal position through the medium of the tension of thesprings 40 as soon as the brush' head leaves the projections, 39.` Hence during each stroke of the brush during its rec1procat1on,-a complete vertical reciprocation is imparted to the beater, and durmg each complete reciprocation of the brush, two reciprocations are imparted to the beater in a vertical direction, the reciprocating movement of the brush being horii zontal asvheretofore explained.

' The opposite extremities of the brush head i' are equipped with small-rollers or anti-frictional devices 44 which during the reciprocation of the brush move in end grooves 45 formed in the ends 42 of the casing.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the forward part of the machine or that where the inlet opening 15 is located, will rest upon the article to be cleaned. The machine as illustrated in the drawing is supported upon wheels or rollers 46 and 55 which facilitate the movement of the cleaner over the' surface or fabric. The motor 6 is supplied with. current from any suitable source through the medium of conductors 47 incased in a covering 48.

From the foregoing description the usev and operation of my improved vacuum cleaner will be readily understood. As soon as the circuit is closed in which the motor is located, the vlatter is put in operation whereby its shaft 7 together` with the fan 8- is rotated. The rotation of this fan produces theinecessary suction'to generate the air current through the yopening 15' and thel chambers 13 and 10, for carrying the dust and dirt into the bag 16, the latter being supported at its rear extremity by means of a flexible connection 49. As soon as the motor i's started, -the horizontally reciproeating movement "is imparted to the brush and the vertically reciprocating movement Vto the beater, the movement of the brushbeing transmitted throu h thel medium of the 's eed reducing mec anism heretofore brush mounted in said casing above the guard, and having a portion extending .through said guard to the surface to be cleaned, said guard being open to permit the extracted dirt and dust to enter.

3. A vacuum cleaner including a brush Kand a beater mounted to reciprocate at vright angles to each other, means for reciprocat ing thebrush and an operative connection between the brush and the beater for. actuating the latter.

4. A vacuum cleaner. including a brush and a beater, mounted to reciprocate in right lines and at right yangles 'to each other,

means for reciprocating the brush and an operative connection between the brush and beater for imparting movementy to the latter in one direction, and springs for imparting movement in the opposite direction.

5. A vacuum 'cleaner including a casing, a brush mounted to reciprocate therein and a beater also mounted to reciprocate, springs located in pockets formed in the casing and acting on the beater to impart movement in 13o megane one direction, and an operative connection between the brush and beater for imparting movement Vin the Opposite direction.

6. A vacuum cleaner including a brush and a beater, and means connecting the two for causing them to reciprocate at rightangles to and in engagement with each other, and suitable means for operating the brush and beater.

7. A vacuum cleaner including a casing having an intake opening, a beater movablyA mounted Within the casing and extending across said opening, a, brush also movably mount-ed Within the said casing above said opening, means for imparting movement to the sai( brush, and means for vertically reciprocating the beater.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses..

CLIFFORD C. DANCE,

Witnesses GRACE HUsToN, ALBERT OBRIEN. 

